I'm fascinated with how much Allentown has changed within the last 50 years, and find the railroads a good metaphor. In my youth the city was serviced by several rail branch lines with dozens of sidings, supplying many industries with raw materials to produce products distributed all over the country. Those industries fostered a large middle class, and a high standard of living. We were the truck capital of the world, we were home to the first transistors, and a retail legend. The tower shown above in 1963, and the gas tank in the background, were on Union Street. Although they are both now gone, this blogger will continue to combine history, news and commentary for those of us who still remember a different era.
reprinted from November of 2013
UPDATE JANUARY 1, 2021: This post is over seven years old, from a time when I still followed local politics more closely. Although I will still occasionally cover a current event, often I now feel more comfortable with our local past than our future. The remaining Morning Call staff is upset because it seems that the paper may once again change hands, from Tribune to MediaNews. While MediaNews sheds real estate, Tribune already gave up the 6th Street headquarters. If the acquisition happens, the Morning Call would be the biggest paper in that company's Pennsylvania portfolio. While a threat to those smaller papers, it might actually be an opportunity for the Morning Call.
I’m wondering what the economic - NOT journalistic - sense of having multiple locations a “Reading Eagle” and an “Allentown Morning Call” and a “Pottstown Mercury” would be. I know nobody has an office to work from any longer, meaning only a couple of professional journalists and one or two photographers. Without a real reason to stay and learn from more-seasoned journalism professionals, these papers end up with a whole lotta nothing.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a solution to this situation. Unfortunately I’m stuck without being able to offer construction with my criticism.
John, I agree that you can run a "Patch" type operation with only a few people. On the other hand, the Morning Call, although with a reduced staff and working from home, still do produce a real newspaper. Perhaps their concern is more accurate than my speculation. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that their signed petition to Tribune will not factor into that board's decision.
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